Want to get 20 minutes of fresh air and exercise? Want to observe/play with your child in his/her own habitat? Join us for your child’s 20 minute recess!

Students might have a lot more fun if we had some parents who would be willing to come in and teach the kids some organized games, even if just for a few weeks until they master them. We could especially use Dads on the field with the boys to teach them skills and let them blow off steam in a controlled way.

Your child’s recess time is only 20 minutes long and may even fit into your lunch hour if you work close to St. Timothy. Plus you will earn Points for Parents. If you would be able to help us out, we would love to have you! We also welcome your preschoolers. Volunteers must be VIRTUS compliant. We also ask that you give 24 hours notice if you can join us so that we can plan for your participation.

RECESS RULES

Treat everyone with respect including parents, teachers, and classmates. No using the Lord’s name in vain, bullying, name calling, cussing, back-talking, teasing, fighting, etc. will be tolerated.

Keep Your Hands to Yourself: No pushing, pulling, shoving, tackling, pinching, grabbing, hugging, etc. another person on the playground. The only touching that is allowed is that in an approved game such as tag and then it is only a simple touch.

Play with toys in the manner they were designed. Jump ropes are for jumping rope. Scoops in scoop ball are for playing scoop ball. No toys may be used as weapons.

Follow all rules for safe play in the playground structure. No climbing up side of equipment or slides. No running under zip-wire or cross bars when someone is climbing on them.

No student is allowed to leave the recess area without express permission from a parent or teacher. On days that the class has the playground/field, students must be within the fences of either the playground or field. No climbing over fences.

Touch football is the only football allowed and only under the supervision of an adult. All football must be played on grassy area. There will be no football or soccer in the bus barn.

Follow directions of Parents and Teachers on Recess Duty. A Parent or Teacher on duty can change the rules on a given day because of safety, weather conditions and those temporary rules must be followed. Students may not challenge or ignore the rules of the Parent or Teachers on Duty.

A list of suggested games is posted to give students ideas of acceptable games to play. Other games can be played with the approval of the parent or teacher on duty if it is deemed safe. Only approved games are allowed in the gymnasium on indoor recess days.

No food is allowed on the playground, field or bus barn. If a student does not finish his lunch in the allotted time, he/she must remain in the cafeteria until it is finished.

Consequences for not Following Rules

Warning.

If misbehavior continues after warning or student shows disrespect to parent/teacher disciplining him/her, student will spend 5 minutes on the bench.

If there is more than one incident a day, or the misbehavior is on-going, the student will be required to walk the perimeter of the field or bus barn for the duration of recess.

If the incident is deemed especially serious, the student will be taken to the office and a parent will be called.

GAMES/ACTIVITIES

Indoor games
(some can also be played on field or in bus barn as appropriate)

Circle Games:

Name six – sit in circle pass small ball/beanbag and player must name six things starting with same letter before ball comes around again.

Hunt the Key – person sits in the middle of circle while those in the circle pass a small object from hand to hand. Person in middle tries to guess who has the object.

Farmer in the Dell
Mulberry Bush
Ring Around the Rosey
London Bridge
Limbo
Hot Potato

Pick and Cup – two lines of children. 10 small objects passed one by one. First person puts it into cupped hand of 2nd child, 3rd person picks it out of cupped hand and passes it to cupped hand, down the line. At the end the person puts it on the floor and first person passes second object. First team to pass all items to end wins.

Double pass – two objects passed around a circle one in front and one behind the back.

Tunnel relay – pass ball between legs to the next person. When the ball comes to the person at the end, he runs to front of line and passes it until they are back at original position.

Gossip relay – variation of telephone. Someone tells runners at the front of the line a phrase and they run to a designated point and then pass on the phrase to next runner and then at the end all teams compare notes to see what was said. Team that comes closest to original phrase wins.

Two minute walk – children are told to walk to a designated point in exactly two minutes. Child who comes closest to doing it in exactly two minutes wins.

Mother May I
Simon Says
Duck, duck , goose

Drop the Handkerchief – a tisket a tasket

Run for your Supper – children hold hands in a circle. “It” pulls two children’s hands apart and says “run for your supper”. They run in opposite directions and whoever gets to the empty spot first wins. The other is “it”.

Cat and Mouse – Children hold hands in circle. A “mouse” starts inside the circle and darts in and out of the circle under the hands. The mouse must always keep moving and can only stay in the circle a few moments. A “cat” tries to catch the “mouse” but cannot come in the circle – he can reach in.

Sewing up the gap — children stand in circle at arms length. Two children are out – one it and one being pursued. The one being pursued runs in and out of the circle to “sew up the gap”. When he runs into the circle, the children he passes through, join hands – sewing up the gap. When he runs out, nothing changes. If he finishes sewing up all the gaps before he is caught, he wins. If he does not, he become it and a new runner begins.

Around Ballâ€”children form two teams in a circle standing 3-6 feet apart depending on abilities. Team “captain” begins by passing ball to right as quickly as possible. Each time it comes around he calls out the number of completed rounds. First team to reach 5 completed rounds wins. If ball is dropped, round must start again. Children can use simple passing or variations such as a bounce, under the legs, behind the back, etc.

Basketball games:

Around the World – Players must make baskets from seven designated spots.

Shoot Out – players see how many baskets they can make in 1 minutes.

Horse – follow the leader with basketball. Lead player makes basket using various techniques, other players must copy and make basket. If he does not, he gets the letter H and this continues until someone spells out HORSE. If first player misses his shot, next player gets to be the leader and decide on the technique and spot.

Classroom games for indoor recess

Dumb Crambo — variation on charades. Group chooses word and players must act out words that rhyme with mystery word. Other team must guess mystery word by first guessing rhyming clues.

Word games:

Grab on behind. Players choose category and first player says a word from that category. Next player must find another word from category that starts with the last letter of the player before him.

Proverbs – 7th and 8th grade: one player is sent out of room while others choose a proverb (can have a bunch already in a jar). Guesser asks rest of group questions and they must answer using the first word of the proverb in their sentence. He asks another question and they must answer using the 2nd word of proverb in their sentence, and so on. Guesser must then try to figure out what proverb they chose. Must be commonly known phrases.

Bus Barn

Tether Ball
Scoop Ball
Skip-it
Hula Hoops
Hopscotch
Jump Rope

Counting Rhymes
Double Dutch
Follow the Leader

Capture the Flag
Marble Games

Marble boccie

Red Rover
Tag and its many variations

Rabbit – one player is the hunter and one player is the rabbit. Children divide in groups of 3 – two join hands to form a hutch and the third is a rabbit in hiding. The rabbit who is being hunted can dart into a “hutch”, displacing the rabbit who then must run from the hunter. If the rabbit is caught, he becomes the hunter and the hunter turns into the rabbit.

Hopping bases – It stands in a circle in the center. While in the circle he can stand on two feet. At all other times, he and the other children must hop on one foot. Two teams line up behind boundary lines at opposite ends of the field and try to get across to the other side without being tagged by it – hopping. Whichever team has the most members to cross without being tagged wins.

Streets and alleys – need at least 15 children – 12 children line up in three rows of four holding hands (horizontal lines). One person is a caller, one a chaser and one is chased. To begin, the runner and chaser go up and down the “streets” between the rows of children. This continues until the caller changes it to alleys. Then the 12 children drop hands and turn to the side so that there are now 4 lines of 3 (vertical) and the children run between these lines that are now “alleys”. The caller can change direction whenever she wants. Children cannot run under arms, but must stay in street or alley. When a player is caught a new round begins with new chaser, runner and caller.

Astride Ball– children stand in a circle with their legs spread and their hands on their knees. Player in the middle rolls the ball and tries to get between their legs. Children in circle can block with hands or by closing their legs. When person in middle gets through, he joins circle and the child who let the ball through, becomes “pitcher”.

Call Ball – each player is given a nickname for the game. One player bounces the ball as high as she can and calls the nickname of a player. All players run away except the player whose name is called. If player catches the ball before it hits the ground, she bounces it high and calls another name. If she does not, she yells freeze and all players must stop. The player who missed then throws at another player – not the one who called her name – below the waist. If she hits someone, that person gains possession of the ball and begins the play again.

Center Ball – One player starts in the center of a circle where children stand at arms length. Player in middle throws the ball at a player and then runs past her. That player must catch the ball, take it back to the center of the circle and leave it, then turn and chase the thrower. If the thrower makes it back to the ball without being caught, the runner becomes the new thrower. If she catches him, he must do it again.

O’Leary is a rhyming bouncing game with a tennis ball. Children sing the rhyme and do 8 different motions while bouncing the ball. Children can play alone or in competition.

Four square

Sidewalk tennis –similar to tennis, but using hands instead of rackets with two. Handball tennis – with teams

Volleyball

Touch Football only under the supervision of an adult

Kick ball

Punt and Catch – Two teams line up and goal is to punt a football or playground ball over the heads of the opposing team. If you succeed your team gets a point. If you do not make it over or the other team catches the ball, they get a point. Whoever has most points wins.

Pickle – 3 players. Two on either side throwing ball to each other and one in the middle trying to run from base to base without being tagged. Person who touches most bases before being tagged wins.

Punchball — modified baseball using tennis ball and no bats and only two bases. Hitter can either throw ball up and hit it with fist and then run bases or a pitcher can throw the ball to hitter with one bounce.

Ultimate – played with Frisbee. Team tries to get Frisbee from one end of field to the other goal. Person throwing Frisbee cannot run, must stand in one place – can pivot – but must throw the Frisbee to another team member. Other team can try to block players and intercept.

Soccer keep away – similar to monkey in the middle, but cannot use hands.